The shortage with full-time nurses is a common problem in the United States. This paper will pay special attention to determining the causes of this situation. Using data from various sources will provide a better understanding of why nurses want to leave and what financial aspects may play a role in this. The nursing profession is essential and integral to the entire health system. The identification of specific problems with a view to their elimination in the field of nursing will significantly improve the overall health situation throughout the country. The government’s attention to the funding of this area, especially full-time nurses, as well as the competence of medical directors, will be able to change the situation. There are different causes of the shortage with full-time nurses, and some of them can be resolved.
The first reason for the shortage with full-time nurses, which is essential to consider, is the problem of funding. It is important to note that the trend toward a deficit with nurses continues to grow (Zerwekh J. & Zerwekh A., 2013). According to the United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. Subcommittee on Health (1987), “the shortage of nurses is measured by the hospital industry as vacant budgeted full-time equivalent positions for registered nurses” (p. 48). It is noteworthy that the availability of such positions is affected by many factors relevant to funding issues. As the United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. Subcommittee on Health (1987) state, “the number of budgeted positions for nurses, reflect a number of factors, including budget constraints as well as local wage rates” (p. 48). Therefore, it is important to stress that one of the problems of the shortage with full-time nurses is the lack of government attention to this profession. The lack of adequate funding to ensure sufficient quantities of budgeted positions for nurses is one of the main reasons for the shortage with nurses.
In the book The Nursing Shortage: Strategies for Recruitment and Retention in Clinical Practice and Education, the author Harriet Feldman describes the causes that lead to a shortage in nursing. Among them, it is important to mention an aging workforce with many current and Imminent retirements, a lack of surgical educational content and clinical experiences, difficulty attracting and keeping perioperative nurses, and demands for professional nurses in ambulatory care surgical settings (Feldman, 2003, p. 46). From this, it should be concluded that one of the main reasons for the shortage with full-time nurses relates to the level of professionalism of the nurse. When she has extensive experience and quality education, her requirements regarding working conditions and necessary equipment will be high (Huber & Joseph, 2021). The lack of these conditions would result in her dissatisfaction with her job and her desire to resign. On the other hand, a new nurse with entry-level skills will have difficulties because of a lack of knowledge. This problem requires balance when hiring new nurses to reduce the shortage with full-time nurses.
In conclusion, it is worth emphasizing that although the problem of the shortage with full-time nurses is addressed in many books and articles, the attention paid to it by the government leaves much to be desired. Based on the findings in the paper, the reason for this is insufficient funding, which means there are not enough vacant full-time positions for nurses. In addition, other causes of the chosen issue, such as a lack of surgical educational content, an aging workforce, and others, have been identified using relevant literature. In conclusion, it is worth noting that the problem of the shortage with full-time nurses needs to be urgently addressed, as this profession in medicine significantly affects the health situation in general.
References
Feldman, H. (2003). The nursing shortage: Strategies for recruitment and retention in clinical practice and education. Springer Publishing Company.
Huber, D., & Joseph, L. (2021). Leadership and nursing care management. Elsevier Health Sciences.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance. Subcommittee on Health. (1987). Nurse shortages: hearing before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, first session. U.S. Government Printing Office.
Zerwekh, J. G., & Zerwekh, A. G. (2013). Nursing today. Elsevier Health Sciences.